A Myriad of Problems
by escarr15
Summary: S4 (post-Pandora) one-shot for #CastleFanficMonday, during Alexis' internship. An unfortunate computer fault leads to Alexis inadvertently starting a rumour. This happened to me in a different context ad I felt writing fic based on it would be the most fitting idea after the issue had passed. Title inspired by aforementioned personal software fault.


Alexis hovers nervously at the edge of the tech room next to the morgue. Everything is too clean, too precise for her. She may be top of her class but in the precinct she's the bottom. Helping Lanie digitise records for the mayor is a privilege, something she can't mess up. It's not surprising she's arrived far too early.

"Oh, hey Alexis, you're here." Lanie voice is bright as she enters the room, checking her watch, "Ahh, plenty of time, you ready to start?"

"Absolutely," Alexis shuffles towards the computer as Lanie takes the seat closest to the screen.

"So, where did we get to?" Lanie asks, one eye on the screen as she types in her password.

Alexis whips out her notebook and flicks through to the notes she made last time they logged the data. "Err, P296 - Tolansky."

"OK..." Lanie hums as she scrolls through the records, "Umm, where did we start?"

Alexis flips back through her notes, "P255 - McCrea." She watches Lanie furrow her brow and sneaks a glance at the monitor. She wishes she didn't as her face falls.

"No," Lanie mutters, "No, no, no! Alexis, do you know what's happened?"

"Err, yeah, my data got deleted, I guess..." Alexis starts, not entirely sure over what they should do next.

"Not just yours, all the data," Lanie admits, clutching her phone, "Everything is gone...I gotta go make some calls. You carry on with last week's paperwork." With that, she hurries out of the room, leaving Alexis to complete her usual paperwork alone.

* * *

The next hour passes painfully slowly for Alexis. She does her usual paperwork, but instead of the solitary, undisturbed monotony of her usual Mondays doing paperwork and system logging, she is constantly interrupted by her superiors. Lanie pops in mostly, checking that she got things right about the deletion. Even Perlmutter pops in while she gulps down some of the battery acid the rest of the staff call coffee.

After her allotted hour one of the other staff members knocks on the door, rousing her from the otherwise monotonous task of paperwork. She knows it's her time to leave and she dutifully stands up, clears her stuff and heads back to the locker. On her way out she barely even receives a nod from Lanie, who is frantically working with the tech guys to find the missing files.

* * *

The one saving grace in her nightmare of a day is her dad being home when she arrives back at the loft. She collapses on the sofa and, for once, he comes and sits beside her to catch up.

"How did the file logging go?" he asks.

"Awful," she starts, holding back tears, "They're gone, dad. All my work, gone. Not even just mine. They're all gone. All the mayor's files. Gone."

"Hey, baby, it's ok," he replies, "They're not gone, surely. Are they not saved somewhere else? I'm sure you can redo them, put everything back in manually."

"I don't know. Lanie was working on it. But it's too late to do that now, the deadline's next week and-"

"Honey, calm down, it'll be fine. Lanie will work something out. I promise."

"I guess." Her voice is downcast, mournful even. Right now she doesn't feel like her dad understands.

"Look, I've gotta go over to the precinct later, Beckett's working late. It'll be ok darling, I know." And with that he sweeps up from the sofa and back into his study.

Hours later she hears him go out.

* * *

Alexis almost sleepwalks through her classes the next morning. Spending the night on her dad's sofa was not the best plan, especially with her gran coming home in the small hours and not realising she was home. In a way the whole data thing has almost left her mind, filled instead with statistics and lecture notes and meetings with her friends and professors.

Her recent lack of awareness disappates with one message from Lanie: 'Why are you telling people about yesterday?'

Alexis racks her brains. Yesterday? There were the files. But she only told...Castle. Her mind races. Surely he...oh no, he was working late with Beckett! But he never discusses her internship with his partner, he tends to gloss over it. Except this concerns the mayor, his friend. He must have said something and she's gone into damage control. She blasts off a grovelling reply and hooks her bag over her shoulder. For once she is not looking forward to her stint at the precinct.

* * *

She arrives at the morgue, head low. She didn't need to worry about anyone noticing her, she was invisible even though everyone she knew from the precinct when she started was in the room.

She clears her throat and Lanie, Beckett and Toni glance over. She pauses, swaying forward slightly as she stands. Her mouth is dry, she has no idea what to say. There'd been a frantic text exchange between her and Lanie on the way in: it sounded like it was fine, but she still feels the tension.

Instead of broaching the subject she turns to Ben, another intern. "It's been such a day!" she gasps, trying to subtly bring up her faux pas, "The internet's been down everywhere! I've got deadlines. And just, it's been a day and it's not even midday!"

"Err yeah, you know Snapchat's down?" he replies, fiddling with his phone, "I don't know what to do with myself. Except my assignment, should probably do that. It's like a source review thing."

"Wait, are you with Schumer?"

"Yeah, I'm a Politics major."

"I have that class too, that stupid source thing. Don't they realise we have like seven other deadlines right now!?"

"Ahem, Alexis?" Lanie calls from behind her, "I need to help Ben sign out some files. Could you check the computer stuff?"

"Yeah, sure," Alexis says, as brightly as she can stomach. She heads into the tech room, just as she did the day before. As she is putting her stuff on the shelf, Lanie pops her head around the door.

"Could you stick around after you're done here? I want to talk to you." Alexis' face fell, and Lanie quickly adds "It's nothing bad, don't worry." That doesn't really put Alexis at ease.

* * *

Routine computer checks done, Alexis is quick to vacate the tech room. She feels cursed after yesterday but is wary about going to sit with Toni and Beckett. Considering she has no choice other than to sit in the darkened room she is already in, she heads back out and takes Lanie's vacated chair.

"Why are you still here?" Beckett asks.

"Lanie wanted to talk to me," Alexis replies, "Said I should stay after the checks."

"You've got classes," Beckett responds, caringly, "You should go. She'll understand."

"She said to stay. It'll be quick. I need to stay."

Beckett nods and turns back to her conversation with Toni. It seems like an age but it's barely five minutes before Lanie is back.

"Guys, head into the tech room, I'll be with you in a sec," Lanie says as she reappears through the door, clutching a bottle of water. She turns to Alexis, who hastily stood up, "Alexis, take a seat." Lanie perches on the desk opposite her. "So yesterday we lost some files. They weren't all lost, but your logs were. We're trying to get them back but the mayor's visit is next week, can you come in Saturday and help sort them?"

"Umm, yeah," Alexis thinks for a moment, "I'm meeting a friend for coffee but that's flexible."

"Great," Lanie replies, smiling, "See you later."

"Umm, Lanie?" Alexis starts as her boss turns away, "I'm really sorry about telling my dad. I forget sometimes about him telling Beckett things. He barely talks about me really. I didn't think. It won't happen again, I promise."

"Sweetie, it's fine," Lanie replies warmly, "Now, how about 1 til 3 on Saturday?"

"Sounds great," Alexis replies, finally accompanied with a genuine smile, "See you then."


End file.
